Cycling in New South Wales

Australia's most populous state had a capital that hated bikes. Cyclists were perceived as obtrusive road users who always hogged up the roads, slowing traffic down. However, since the 21st century, Sydney has had a major reform and has many great cycle paths, making cycling a popular recreational activity, with a network that now extends kilometres beyond the realms of the city. Though the state's cycle network is centred around Sydney and the Northern Rivers, this is in addition to road cycling in rural areas, which can provide some spectacular laidback views – something that you cannot do whilst driving.

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Understand

Shared cycle paths are usually marked with a cycle symbol. If a path is exclusively for cyclists, then the path will be painted green, such as the one seen on the right. It will be crisp clear whether pedestrians will be allowed on green paths or not.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that many cycle paths were either formed out of existing pathways that had some sort of use until they went unloved or out of council parklands or rail trails. This has resulted in various gaps within the cycle network, in addition with the lack of cooperation between different councils, meaning you may have to ride on the road for a few hundred metres, or even kilometres on end, before returning to a path again.

If you consider Sydney as the world's capital for sloppy and misleading highway signage, you'd be disappointed to find out the same applies for signage on cycle paths. Signposting is done by individual councils; the lack of cooperation has led to erroneous distances, so make sure to use your favourite GPS application. Chances are very likely that your phone is more accurate than the signs on-the-ground. The situation in regional NSW and Newcastle is slightly better, but here, you'll find that the inverse – the trail will be poorly marked.

Remember to keep left at all times unless passing (overtaking). There may be signs and markings everywhere reminding you to stick to the left, but ultimately, it is your responsibility to stick to the left. You really don't want to piss of other cyclists by riding on the wrong side, or worse of yet, be involved in an accident of any kind. Finally, wearing a helmet is mandatory by law – no exceptions to this (or choose to cop a fine of $344). Though this is true in all states, the NSW authories are very stringent about this and on-the-spot fines are commonly handed out. Contrary to many places, you will not be judged for wearing a helmet; in fact, you'll have a very hard time finding someone who is not wearing one.

Cycle maps are usually left to councils, but there is a map of all cycle paths on the Roads and Waterways NSW website. If you're planning to go long-distance cycling, including cycling on freeways, this government website, albeit not up-to-date, should give you a general overview.

Contrary to most of the world, cycling on NSW's freeways is permitted, though not on all freeways (actual freeways designed for motorised vehicles, not bike freeways). On the freeways that permit cycling, you'll encounter two different conditions. Some freeways, like the WestlinkM7, have a parallel bike freeway to the main freeway itself, while on most others (and nearly all in regional NSW), you'll have to cycle on the freeway shoulder (and in some cases, you will have cars passing you at 110 km/h (68 mph)) and will need to safely cross at every exit and entry. Only cycle on freeway shoulders if you're feeling confident – it only takes one slip to cause a major accident. Even cycling groups and organisations tend to avoid cycling on such freeways.

Although the ACT is completely enclaved within New South Wales, it is not covered here for practical reasons.

Destinations

This list is only a brief and generalised overview of what it's like cycling in these regions and cities. For detailed information, such as bike rentals or local conditions, check the relevant city or region article for information.

Sydney
See also: Sydney#By bike, Urban cycling

The urban core of New South Wales may have once been a notorious place for cycling, but today, it has a vast network of shared paths – today, it even has bike freeways.

As a general rule of thumb, newer suburbs that were established since the spraling boom of Sydney generally have more bike paths (i.e. Outer Western Sydney, former industrial areas) in addition to parks that are a part of a long-distance path.

Unlike many other cities, cycling on some of Sydney's freeways is completely normal, though riding your bike on the freeway should be done at your own risk. Often, this is only allowed on urban freeways with a wide shoulder. If there's an alternate cycle path that runs parallel to the freeway, then you likely won't be able to ride your bike. You cannot ride your bike under a tunnel (many of Sydney's freeways are underground, so this is a large number), nor can you ride your bike on the lane – you must ride it on the shoulder. Important freeways that are not tunnels where cycling is prohibited include the M4 Western Motorway west of Silverwater (you can only ride on the bike freeway between Pemulwuy and Silverwater), the A4 Western Distributor, the Gore Hill Freeway, the Warringah Freeway, the Eastern Distributor and the M5 East Freeway (the above-ground sections too).

Sydney has four long-distance cycleways that parallel freeways. The most well-known and spectacular cycleway is the WestlinkM7 cycleway; the other three are the M2, M4, and M5 cycleways, though the M4 is significantly shorter than the other two, starting and ending in random suburbs, meaning you have to cycle on the shoulder. There is also a short cycleway paralleling the Gore Hill Freeway, which eventually continues as the Epping Road cycleway. The future M12 will also have a future bike freeway that will parallel the under-construction freeway between WestlinkM7 and The Northern Road (A9), and it's expected that the Western Sydney Airport Motorway will open in 2026 along with the airport.

Other important trails include the Parramatta Valley Cycleway, the Windsor Road Cycleway, The Bay Run, Cooks River, and perhaps the most iconic of all, the Harbour Bridge cycleway. Often, these cycleways will connect or branch off into smaller trails, eventually towards other cycleways or towards a suburb.

One Sydney suburb in particular known for its cycleways is Sydney Olympic Park, with many trails centred around Blaxland or Bicentennial Parks. Here, there are endless cycleways that form a large suburban network. The one catch is that nearly all of these cycleways are shared paths, meaning you might have to slow down for pedestrians – certainly not pleasant when you're travelling at 30 km/h (19 mph).

Useful maps for urban cycling

Hunter and the Central Coast

The Hunter's cycle network is often amalgamated with the Central Coast's; given the large amount of lakes in the Hunter, particularly Lake Macquarie, many bike paths follow a lakeside path. Freeway shoulders in the Hunter are open to cyclists, but keep in mind that there will be oncoming vehicles crashing at 110 km/h (68 mph), sometimes even (illegally) at 120 km/h (75 mph).

Newcastle generally has most of its important points of interests connected to its network of bike paths, though gaps are fairly prevalent. In many areas, you will have to ride on the road, keeping in mind that cars will generally give way and slow down if needed. You generally won't need to use medium or high-difficulty cycleways as defined by the council. However, the major exception to this is Stockton, which is only connected through the Tourle Street Bridge (B63). However, if you're not a proficient cyclist, you may want to use the ferry to Stockton. You may be inconveniencing your fellow passengers, but it's completely legal and this practice is commonly done on Sydney's ferries – Newcastle should be no different.

If you're a first time cyclists in Newcastle, it's advisable that you start with the council's recommended routes.

Lake Macquarie's network is mostly a southerly continuation of Newcastle's. Most of the network is east of the lake; the trails west of the lake closer to the freeway are usually filled with traffic.

The Central Coast's network is relatively poor compared to Newcastle, though the northern parts of the region closer to the Hunter is slightly better than the south. You will have to ride on the road as there are few paths, but this is slowly changing, with the council investing in shared paths.

Useful resources

Illawarra

The Illawarra may be coastal, but its hilly low-elevation topography has posed a challenge for large-scale infrastructure – and perhaps what explains why nearly all roads between state's largest and fourth-largest cities tend to be windy or steep. Unlike its Central Coast or Hunter counterparts, there are few bike paths in the Illawarra, and almost all of them are shared or on the road. In some particularly steep sections, you will be requred to dismount and wheel your bike. It may be an inconvenience, but these paths usually have a gradient of over 20%; combined with narrow paths, you can probably see why this is necessary.

Suffice to say, Wollongong is still a nice place for cycling. In 2022, it hosted the UCI Road World Championships with the track mainly featuring Mount Keira, a perfect place to go road cycling but on mountains. The Mount Keira Ring Track may only be a 5-kilometre loop, but you'll see some impressive rainforest scenery along the way. Just be careful for leeches after rain.

Northern Rivers

The Northern Rivers', or specifically Tweed Heads' limited network is rather unique in a sense that its network resembles more like Queensland's network as opposed to somewhere in NSW – and its northerly location explains it all. Unfortunately, in this part of the state, few shared pathways have been developed, meaning you have to cycle on the road – something that's certainly not ideal if you're a novice cycler.

Other famous trails

Get around

By ferry

Most public ferries should allow you to take your bike with you, though they may not allow you if it's a high-use route (such as the F1 between Manly and Circular Quay). If your ferry does allow you, make sure you stand outside and hook your bike to the front (there will be two hooks at the front of every ferry). Never leave your bike unattended.

By train

Legally, you are allowed to take a bicycle with you on all Sydney and Intercity trains; they are also allowed on the Sydney Metro, but it's preferable that you use the multi-purpose space in the first and last cars.

However, Sydney's trains are often densly packed and there's little room for a cyclist to hog up half the standing area near the ends of carriages. However, on the other hand, Intercity trains (i.e. trains from Sydney that aren't within its urban network but where you can still use your Opal® card) don't have this issue, though it depends on the train. Depending on the route, there will be a hook at the end of each carriage.

By light rail

You are allowed to bring bicycles on Sydney light rail routes, but bicycles are not permitted on the Newcastle light rail (on NLR). However, Newcastle light rail is extremely short (2.5 km) with a bike path running parallel for most of its length – it is far easier to use that path instead.

However, on Sydney light rail, you are only permitted to bring them provided that there is space for other passengers – if the vehicle is full, you may be refused entry. Likewise, if you're deemed to be obstructive or a safety hazard, you may be asked to leave.

Road cycling

Road cycling in New South Wales can be an entirely different story, depending on the location and time.

Riding your bike on the road during peak hours can be a nightmare, especially on main arterial roads. Most of Sydney's arterial roads weren't designed for cyclists and these roads easily get filled by car-loving commuters; it is for this exact reason why many New South Welshmen who live in a major city hated cyclists in the past. Newcastle's and Wollongong's roads are slightly better, but you can still expect the same. See § Sydney for cycling on freeways. While there are inner-city freeways in Newcastle and Wollongong, cycling on freeways in both cities is unheard of (there are none in the Central Coast, though).

Cycling on a slightly quieter road or a road that explicitly says "Watch For Cyclists" on a blue sign in all caps would mean it's safe to cycle and motorists have been warned. While there will always be that one ignorant driver illegally using their phone, it's generally safe to assume that it won't be unplesant. Still take normal precautions, and try cycle in a large group if you are cycling on the road.

With the exception of cycling on freeways and major divided four-lane highways, cycling on most highways and rural roads should give you a laidback view of the surrounding scenery. Keep in mind that most oncoming traffic will come rushing at 100–110 km/h (62–68 mph) (even 60 km (37 mi) in the Snowy or Blue Mtns is fast) and it's difficult to swerve off-road on particularly narrow roads without a shoulder – it's important, especially on rural roads, to keep left. Try and cycle in a single file if you're cycling in a group, because although most drivers will cross into the oncoming lane, it's not always possible.

Some roads in the Snowy Mountains will get covered in snow and ice during the winter. Avoiding cycling in such conditions most New South Welsh drivers aren't proficient in driving on ice. You could also easily slip or lose your balance, and when there's a car coming behind you with a panic-stricken driver, that's a one-way recipe for disaster. On occasion, this may happen in the Blue Mountains, but the black ice can make conditions worse. Check local conditions before driving in the Snowy and Blue Mountains.

Though road cycling in a place that isn't exactly welcoming to cyclists might seem a bit intimidating at first, it should be like cycling on many roads in northern Europe (such as Germany, Denmark and other Nordic countries). Apply some common sense and you'll be fine.

If you're travelling on a medium- or long-distance highway (usually over 200 km), there may be scenic tourist drives that you may want to ride on. These drives receive less motorised traffic, are more scenic and enjoyable.

Stay safe

Before you get on your bike, always make sure to do the following:

  • Have a working bell – it's the law. To put it simply, no bell means no ride. Other cyclists need to be aware of your presence and need to know if you want to pass them.
  • Wear something bright and visible and have some sort of night lighting – again, NSW law requires all riders to have proper reflectors and night lighting when riding at night. You may think it looks dumb and arbitrary, but getting hit by a car or another cyclist is even more dumb and arbitrary.
  • Wear a helmet – had a fall and didn't wear a helmet? Most New South Welsh cyclists wear one, because again, it's the law. They prevent you from getting a serious head or brain injury were you to have an accident.
  • Check if your brakes are working – there's nothing worse than travelling at 40 km/h (25 mph) and need to slow down, only to find out your brakes don't work. It takes less than a minute to check whether they're working or not; better be safe than sorry.

Anti-cyclists

New South Wales has come a long way since its extreme car-centric days, but the "fuck cyclists" mentality is still prevalent amongst some. Although the worst you can get on the road as an average cyclists are a few honks from aggressive ute drivers, or drivers yelling anti-cyclist messages out their windows, some may try to tailgate or be a nuisance to you – if this happens, steer clear of the road, let the driver pass, and preferably report the vehicle (NSW law prohibits such behaviour, and all vehicles must stay at least 1.5 metres from cyclists).

In some areas where extreme NIMBYism is prevalent, you may also find other means of obstruction on the path (this is particularly prevalent on newer bike paths). Try your best to not get caught up in one of those.

See also
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